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Stingy Swedes? Viral tale spotlights Swedish cultural quirk
The #Swedengate debate originated on a discussion forum on social media site Reddit, where a question about people's weirdest experiences of a different culture yielded the following reply:
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Workers at the Swedish Handball Federation (SHF) meet for a traditional 'Fika', Swedish type of coffee break, on May 27, 2015 in Stockholm, Sweden. (AFP/Jonathan Nackstrand)
A
sign of an inhospitable people or a view into an alien mindset: A viral tale of Swedish families not offering their children's friends a place at the dinner table has captured the world's attention.
The #Swedengate debate originated on a discussion forum on social media site Reddit, where a question about people's weirdest experiences of a different culture yielded the following reply:
"I remember going to my Swedish friend's house. And while we were playing in his room, his mom yelled that dinner was ready. And check this. He told me to WAIT in his room while they ate."
Many echoed similar experiences -- and the discussion went viral, moving to other social media sites and raising questions such as does Sweden have a bizarre culture of inhospitality, and are Swedes simply cheap?
Or, is there another explanation?
Many Swedes weighed in to say that it was not an unusual experience. Others said it was rare, while some commented they had never even heard of the practice.
"Growing up as a child, it would be really common to go and play at your friend's house, and then they will be like, oh, I'm just going to go and have dinner. I'll be back in 30. And they would just leave you in their room," Swedish pop singer Zara Larsson, 24, said in a video posted to TikTok.
